PITTSBURGH, April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Tire Recycling, the premier provider of tire recycling services in North America, and Bridgestone Americas, the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest tire and rubber company, will highlight the innovative benefits of rubberized asphalt on April 30, 2014 with an event called "Recycle Florida: 2014." The event will be held at the Tires Plus facility in Clearwater (2021 Sunnydale Boulevard) and will gather transportation and environmental professionals, civic leaders and policymakers to learn more about scrap tire management in Florida and rubberized asphalt materials and applications. Speakers will include experts from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Department of Transportation, as well as Bridgestone Americas, South Florida Materials, Asphalt+, and Liberty Tire Recycling.

"Rubberized asphalt presents Florida and states across the country with an opportunity to build longer-lasting, less expensive roadways by utilizing recycled tire rubber that can otherwise litter the landscape in the form of illegal tire dumps," said Jeffrey Kendall, CEO of Liberty Tire Recycling. "After decades of research and development, rubberized asphalt has come a long way to improve highway infrastructure through sustainable sourcing."

The sessions at Recycle Florida: 2014 will consist of presentations on topics including "Tire Processing in Florida," "Florida DOT New Specifications," and "Rubberized Asphalt Materials and Construction," which will provide an overview of the advantages of rubberized asphalt, from enhanced safety and reduced tire noise to better crack resistance and cost savings.

"Bridgestone Americas works to ensure that for every new tire we sell in the U.S., another tire that has been removed from use is sent to a valuable purpose," said Tim Bent, director of environmental affairs for Bridgestone Americas. "Rubberized asphalt has enormous potential for utilizing a large number of the tires discarded each year for an incredibly important product – lower-cost, safer, sustainable roads."

Rubberized asphalt is a low-cost, high-performance alternative to traditional paving mixes that reduces dependency on oil and limits carbon dioxide emissions. Added to traditional asphalt, crumb rubber comprises 8 to 22 percent of the binder and increases tensile strength. For more than 40 years, rubberized asphalt has proven to diminish maintenance costs and provide a smoother, safer ride. Plus, recycled rubber provides a reliable and consistent supply of material.

"We encourage decision-makers at the state and municipal level to take rubberized asphalt specifications from this event and put them into practice in Florida to save money without sacrificing performance," Kendall added.

Recycle Florida: 2014 is an invitation-only event. Members of the media are welcome to attend. The program will include lunch. Please RSVP to Trisha Fisk at 412.642.7700 or trisha.fisk@elias-savion.com.

About Liberty Tire Recycling Liberty Tire Recycling is the premier provider of tire recycling services in North America. By recycling more than 140 million tires annually, Liberty Tire reclaims about 1.5 billion pounds of rubber for innovative, eco-friendly products. The recycled rubber produced by Liberty Tire is used as crumb rubber and industrial feedstock for molded products; as tire-derived fuel for industrial kilns, mills and power plants; and as rubber mulch for landscaping and playgrounds. The company maintains a nationwide network of processing plants, and comprehensive door-to-door collection services. Liberty Tire Recycling is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, please visit www.libertytire.com.

About Bridgestone Americas, Inc. Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest tire and rubber company. BSAM and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAM family of companies also operates the world's largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. Guided by its One Team, One Planet message, the company is dedicated to achieving a positive environmental impact in all of the communities it calls home.